I was afraid to try the front. Maybe I should have just went for it.
Stupidity gets me in so many ways that the Locker will have to stand in line for it's turn.

 

If you're thinking of a locker for the front, I would suggest the Aussie. The Detroit has MUCH bigger preload springs that require a good bit more force to make ratchet. This could pose a problem in the front. Several people here have Aussies and similar lockers in the front and have great success with them.

 

In my 89 YJ I used to run a Detroit in back and a lock-rite in front, (similar to the Aussie). It worked great. On road you learned the habits. I noticed you have a manual trans. Sometimes I found it benefical to push in the clutch and just coast around corners. Especially if they were tignt corners
We do have ice storms in Kansas. More than once I got called in to work, to go to the data center, because I was the only person who could make it, (even when I wasn't oncall).
Ice is not nearly as big a problem as everyone seems to think. You just accelerate very slowly. I can only think of one time where I had any problem at all, with ice. I just moved to where I had one set of tires running on the shoulder of the road, (rougher surface), and eliminated the problem
This setup is not for everybody. I liked it and will probably once again go with a Detriot in back with my JK. I have a 4 door. So, I expect the Detriot to be even better behaved than my short wheelbased YJ

 

I believe the Aussie is a little easier to install also. Something a backyard mechanic may be able to do. Is that correct?

 

Yes. It's not difficult at all. If you can follow instructions and turn a wrench, you've got it licked.

 

Damn flamed by a newbie!

Rob, your knowledge of autos is immense and you've never steered me wrong when I've asked for advice, but no one will ever convince me an unselectable locker is safe or a desireable thing to have on the pavement.

 

OMG...I like it..

 

Good news on Aussie Instalation. Thanks.

 

That's ok. If we all had the same opinion, what a boring world it would be. Think about this one......Ever heard of Firestone "Wide Oval" tires? They were a bias ply tire of the 60s and early 70s that came on a lot of muscle cars. Primarily Fords.......some WITH Detriot Lockers. Anyway, these particular tires had a nasty reputation for breaking loose on wet pavement badly. Imagine if you will, a 1969 SCJ Mustang with a 428, 4 speed, 4.30 gears and a Detroit Locker, on wet pavement. I'm sure there were some made, as ALL those were options. I don't and have never disagreed that the lockers can certainly pose a problem in certain instances. As long as you give yourself time to learn to drive with one and see where the limits are, you won't have a problem. Oh yeah.....and about the ice thing. Why in the world would anyone ever drive on ice without studded tires? Even the best non studded tires can't grip on ice. With studded tires, like you're SUPPOSED to have on ice, even a Detroit will have enough resistance to work. Think about THAT.

 

If all great minds thought alike there'd only be about three patents.

The insurance companies (along with the first "gas crisis") had a lot to do with getting the high performance aspects of the cars of that era out of the show rooms. Many of those cars were looked at more for going straight very fast as opposed to manuevering around the corners. Folks into that went for the Spitfires, MG's Austins, you know those cars with the worst electrical systems ever thought of. They certainly didn't put lockers in the rear of those.

Many municipalities have long since outlawed studded tires due to the wear and tear millions of those tires can do to the pavement. i brought up ice storms because of the OP's location. That's generally the worst they see as far as winter weather goes. In the colder climates the snow can form some pretty nasty ice underneath. Not great conditions for locked differentials. I just have to recommend selectables to folks if not for their safety, then for mine.